Dr Alan Dow, of Cottage Lane Surgery in Gamesley, has been chosen to star in a documentary about good medical practice.

The GP will be talking about his specialist work to prevent falls in the elderly.

The documentary will be shown to Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt next month at a meeting of the NHS Alliance which represents primary care trusts across the UK.

Dr Dow has been working with six other practices, across Glossop, Ashton and Mossley, to find patients who would benefit from taking a combination of drugs which are thought to reduce the risk of falls.

"It has been shown that the right combination of calcium and vitamin D3 can reduce falls and fractures in the elderly," he said.

"We have reached the prescribing stage now and we have a group of patients who are willing to try it.

"NICE - the National Institute for Clinical Excellence - has said that prescribing this combination is of proven benefit so it should work.

"What we are going to look at is if it does demonstrate a reduction in the number of people who need to go to hospital, and how best to use the services of the PCT and the hospital."

Dr Dow's project has been chosen as a shining example of practice-based commissioning - where GPs take control of their own budgets to improve patient care.

It also allows doctors to develop areas in which they have special interest.

The GP hopes it will prevent other problems pensioners can pick up, such as infections, when they are hospitalised after a fall.

"The big injuries are so easily sustained and preventing them is a good start," he added.

The documentary also features Dr Neil McNeil talking about performing vasectomies at his practice on Waterloo Road, Stalybridge, and GP Raj Patel, from the Brooke Surgery in Hyde, speaking about minor surgeries.